For those who would rather have a small tablet than an e-reader, you would be glad to know that the small tablet has come down in price so much so that it is now comparable or cheaper to some of the standard e-readers out there.

We are not saying that it will make e-readers obsolete, to the contrary, some avid reader like their e-readers for the sheer simplicity, easy of use, super long battery life and its single purpose nature.

Funny enough, the trend of low cost high quality tables started with the introduction of Fire 7 tablet from Amazon. A company that also sells at least 3 different e-readers.

Amazon sets a new standard for lowly priced devices with the Fire 7. A fully capable Android tablet with access to Amazon’s ecosystem of contents. This leaves the competition little room for maneuver in terms of costs with many choosing to leave the small tablet segment entirely.

Other manufacturers have taken up the challenge, injecting new features into their device to stay competitive. So for those who wants their device more versatile than just an e-reader, here are five best 7-inch tablets to start your year.

A Closer Look

A new entry to our list, here is Asus ZenPad 7.0 Z370C replacing the Asus MeMO Pad 7 (ME176CX). Those looking for a bargain and do not mind a slightly older model, the MeMO Pad 7 can be had for less than half its original retail price from some retailers while stocks last.

The new Asus ZenPad 7.0 adopts the latest Intel Atom x3-C3200 Quad-Core 64-bit processor versus Intel Atom Z3745 in the old series. A cheaper variety in the form of Asus ZenPad 7.0 Z170C is also available with largely similar specs except for the screen. While it is a 7-inch display, it only packs 1024 x 600 pixels.

This is not a deal breaker for the resolution will work fine for browsing the web, checking email and watching video clips. Apple’s iPad mini 2 has 1024 x 768 pixel resolution. We like the ZenPad 7.0 Z370C for the extra storage at 16GB when most of the manufacturers for this segment have decided to drop the storage to 8GB.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 7-inch with its slim body and super-narrow side bezel as well as chic design using chrome surround makes it more than just your budget 7-inch tablet. It is not the latest device but have proven itself to be more than capable. The one and a half gigabytes of memory is a weird offering, only seen on Samsung devices, when other have 1GB or 2GB here, but we say the more the better, even if it is half a gigabyte more.

LG may not be popular for tablets, following the successful LG G Pad 8.3 V500 a premium device with 8.3-inch display at Full HD 1920 x 1200 resolution, we have, from the company an entry level tablet in the form of LG G Pad 7.0 V400, LG G Pad 8.0 V480 and the bigger LG G Pad 10.1 V700.

LG G Pad V400 is your standard run of the mill tablet then again which of these budget tablets isn’t. With Qualcomm’s Dual Core processor clocking at 1.2GHz and the usual software customisations from LG, the tablet offers good build quality and all round performance. Software includes QPAIR function that lets you pair the tablet with an Android Smartphone, LG’s Smart Keyboard for easy input and Knock Code for secure access. You also get the Dual Window operating mode for multi tasking.

Amazon has decided to drop the name Kindle from their Fire range and reserve this for their E-readers. While older tablets still carry the name Kindle Fire, newer tablets are simply known as Fire. The new Fire 7 now comes with a fast quad core processor running clocking in at 1.3GHz . This is the tablet that started it all, entry level small tablet from a big name like Amazon at a super affordable price. Amazon will even throw in a free tablet if you buy five as a pack giving you further savings.

The device is great for its simplicity and ease of use and ultimately for access to content be it e-books, movies, TV shows, music, magazine, audio book and more from Amazon’s own store and streaming services (Amazon Prime, Amazon Instant Video, Amazon Music etc). Together with Fire HD 6, Fire HD 8 and Fire HD 10, they are the new line up of Amazon’s offering.

We love the Linx for its ultra narrow bezel, rear and front cameras and lightweight body. There is also the option to add more storage memory in the form of MicroSD card. The device supports up 64GB of flash memory in the slot. However, the 5-6 hours battery life is a bit of a let down but we are talking about a whole different OS here.

The potential of this tablet is huge. With all that connectivity both Wireless (WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0) and wired (MicroUSB and Mini HDMI ports) you can connect the tablet to wired or wireless input devices (keyboard, mouse or trackpad) and big screen HD displays, turning the device into a desktop.

You can even push the device further with a Plugable USB 3.0 Docking Station with DisplayLink, load up the DisplayLink software and run Dual Display mode with two big screens instead of one as some users have. While it comes with Windows 8.1, you can upgrade this to Window 10 albeit with a little bit of work.